Liquid tank marker



Nov. 27, 1951 C. C. CRISS LIQUID TANK MARKER Filed June 27,1950

W m ms m g M 0 v Q m N g2 :25: Q ,i W .0. gm Z M a w a 5 q Patented Nov. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIQUID TANK MARKER Clarence C. Criss, Arkansas City, Kans. Application June 27, 1950, Serial No". 170,509 I 6 Claims.

This invention relates to liquid tank markers and more particularly to limit markers which are adapted to be applied to gasoline or other liquid fuel transport tanks.

In many States the regulations concerning gasoline or fuel transport tanks require that the tanks not be filled to a point in excess of 97% of their total capacity, thus leaving a 3% average allowance, which allowance will take care of the expansion of the fuel caused by heat, and thereby prevent the fuel from overflowing and causin a dangerous fire hazard condition. In order to prevent such a condition the various States have stations at the tank filling stations where the capacity of the tanks is determined and Where, at the time of filling, the tanks are provided with adjustable markers which are placed within the tanks, such markers each being provided with a sight disc which may be vertically adjusted within the transport tank to indicate the capacity to which the tank may be filled with gasoline for safe transportation.

An important object of the invention is to provide such a marker with a threaded rod portion which extends through the top of the tank close to the usual dome opening, said rod consisting of a steel core which has applied thereto an outer coating of copper or other type non-spark producing metal, whereby the danger of sparks is eliminated and-the possible fire hazard is reduced. While the marker rod is shown as covered with copper, any other spark-proof metal can be used.

A further object of the invention is to provide the lower end of the marker rod with a disc, said disc bein made of some non-corrosive metal such as lead which has been polished to some extent; or the disc could readily be made of some bright spark-proof metal such as polished aluminum, the disc being wholly or only partially made of such bright metal.

A further object of the invention is to provide an Allen screw for positively holding in a fixed position the nut which engages the inner surface of the tank wall. However, said nut could be fa tened in fixed position in many ways,'as by a cotter pin extending through openings in the marker rod and nut.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent when considered in connection with the accompanying description and drawings, in Which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the marker containing the various elements in assembled relation;

Fig. 2 shows a sectional View of the transport tank with the marker mounted in place thereon, the sighting disc and its holding nuts being in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a partial view of the tank showing the usual dome opening and cover plate and the position of the marker with respect thereto;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the disc or marker plate; and

Fig. 5 is a cross section through the marker rod.

Referring specifically .to the drawings, in which like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the various views, the marker rod is indicated generally at 6 and comprises a steel core I uponwhich has been deposited a copper coating 8. The steel core is for the purpose of giving strength to the rod marker so that the same will not be bent or broken off, which is the case with similar markers made wholly of copper or copper alloy. Thus, a tank cannot be properly loaded with bent or broken off marker rods which means that the same must be fixed or repaired before the tank canibe loaded at the loading station, such repair being time consuming and thereby causing delay.

The marker rod 6 is provided at its lower end with a threadedvportion 9 which is of sufiicient length so that the same will receive the marker disc I0 and the upper andlower disc locking nuts I I and I2. In assembling the marker disc In to the rod 6 the upper nut II is threaded onto the rod until the top thereof reaches the extreme upper thread of the lower threads 9. Thereafter the disc I0 is slid upon the rod against the bottom of nut I I, whereupon the bottom nut I2 is threaded onto the bottom end of the rod 6, and thereafter the rod end is peened over as at I3 to prevent removal of the nut 12. Therefore, it will be seen that the disc is now locked in its uppermost position due to the fact that any further upward movement of the nut I I is prevented because the unthreaded portion II of the marker rod 6 will prevent any upward movement of the nut I I. It will be seen that with such anarrangement it is impossible to move the disc upwardly in an effort to obtain more gallonage after the same has been calibrated at the State calibrating station.

The marker disc I0 is provided with an eccentric hole I4 whereby the disc, upon installation on the tank, can be turned to various positions to clear the same of contact with a flange or other obstruction which may be fixed within the tank; and if the hole I4 were in the center or the disc it could not be manipulated to miss such an obstruction. The disc I0 is coated as at I5 by some substance having high reflecting qualities whereby the disc can be readily seen and observed through the dome opening in the tank top, it of course being understood that the marker rod is attached to the tank wall at a position relatively close to the dome opening.

The disc I is preferably beveled along one side portion as seen at Illa, this being a requirement in some States, such beveled portion giving better reflection when the disc is observed through the dome opening 25 of the tank. It is contemplated that the beveled surface Illa. of the disc l0 may or may not be coated with the reflecting substance IS.

The upper end of the rod is threaded as at I 6, there being an intermediate unthreaded portion [1. To the upper end of the marker rod is applied a nut I 8 which may be threaded to a desired position upon the rod, which distance is determined by the extent to which the marker rod is to extend downwardly into the tank and thereby determine the tank calibrated gallonage. The nut I8 in the form shown has a threaded opening extending laterally through one of its faces to receive an Allen screw l9 which is screwed up to lock the nut in adjusted position. When the nut !8 is fixed an upper nut 20 is screwed tightly down engaging the tank wall between the same and thereby holding the marker in adjusted and fixed position. The upper nut 20 is provided with a drilled lateral opening 2| therein. At the inspection station the inspector drills a hole through the rod 1, 8 in linewith the opening 2| whereby a seal wire 22 can be passed through the hole and opening 2| and have a metal seal 23 aflixed thereto to prevent tampering with the marker rod 1, 8, that is, preventing the movement of the nut 20 without disrupting the seal 23.

In the installation of the marker rod 1, 3 in a tank wall the marking disc I0 is first fixed to the lower end thereof. The nut I8 is then screwed onto the rod a substantial distance, after which, with the cover 24 to the dome opening 25 removed, the rod 1, 8 is inserted through the dome opening whereupon the upper end thereof is passed upwardly through an opening provided in the tank wall. Thereafter the upper nut 20 is applied to the rod to keep the same from falling into the interior of the tank. With the Allen screw l9 loosened the nut l8 can be moved to any desired position to place the marker disc ill at the desired level to indicate the uppermost level of fuel to be put into the tank. The Allen screw I9 is then tightened to lock the nut to the rod 1, 8, it of course being understood that various type means could be used to lock the nut [8 to the rod. When this has been accomplished it is simply necessary to tighten the upper nut 20, after which the seal is applied to the wire which has been threaded through the nut opening 2! and the drilled hole in rod I, 8.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a very simple gallonage marker which can be assembled and applied to a transport tank, is capable of ready adjustment and ready removal when necessary and is composed of strong material which is not subject to breaking and bending as is true in known constructions.

It is not intended that the invention be limited to the exact construction shown, but is capable of changes and modification within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A liquid level tank marker comprising in combination a liquid transport tank having a dome opening in its top wall, a marker rod consisting of a hard metal core and a relatively soft metal coating, said rod having upper and lower threads and an intermediate plain surface, the tank top wall having a rod-receiving guide opening adjacent the dome opening, a nut threaded on the upper threads of the rod and having means to lock the same in predetermined position, said nut engaging the inner side of the tank, a second nut engaging the outside of the tank top wall and holding the rod in a fixed position with respect to the wall, a pair of nuts threaded to the bottom threaded portion of the rod, a sighting disc on said rod and having at least a minor reflecting portion at the upper surface thereof, andsaid reflecting disc confined between said last mentioned nuts.

2. A liquid level tank marker comprising in combination with the top wall of a liquid-receiving transport tank having a dome opening, a marker rod fixed within an opening in the tank wall adjacent the dome opening, a sighting disc eccentrically and swingably mounted on the lower end of the rod and viewable through the dome opening and means for retaining said disc in predetermined adjusted positions axially of said rod.

3. A liquid level tank marker comprising in combination a transport tank having a dome opening, a liquid level marker mounted in the tank wall adjacent the dome opening, said marker consisting of a rod having an inner core and a relatively soft metal coating, upper and lower threads on the rod and an intermediate plain portion, a pair of nuts on the upper threads, the lower of which has means to adjustably lock the same to the rod and thereby determine the position of the marker within the tank, said nut engaging the inner side of the wall of the tank, the upper nut engaging the outer side of the wall of the tank and cooperating with the lower nut in holding the rod to said wall, a pair of nuts on the lower threads of the rod, the rod being peened over against the surface of the lower nut, an eccentrically mounted sighting disc held between the pair of nuts on the lower end of the rod, said disc having a light reflecting upper surface portion, and said disc having a beveled portion at one side thereof.

4. A liquid level tank marker comprising in combination with the top wall ofa liquid transport tank having a dome opening, a liquid level marker extending through the top tank wall adjacent the dome opening, said marker consisting of a rod having an inner core and a relatively soft metal coating, upper and lower threads on the rod and an intermediate plain portion, a pair of nuts on the upper threads, the lower of which nuts has means to adjustably lock the same to the rod and thereby determine the position of the marker within the tank, said lower nut engaging the inner side of the top Wall of the tank, the upper nut engaging the outer side of the wall of the tank and clamping the rod thereto, a pair of nuts on the lower threads of the rod, the, rod being peened over against the surface of the lower nut, an eccentrically mounted sighting disc held between the pair of nuts on the lower end of the rod, a light reflecting coatingon the upper surface of the disc, said disc having a beveled portion at one side thereof, and the nut engaging the outer side of the tank having a seal aflixed thereto when the marker is set to its proper position.

5. A liquid level marker for a tank having a filling opening in its top wall and comprising in combination, a rod adjustably mounted through said top tank wall adjacent said filling opening, a laterally projecting and laterally adjustable sighting element secured adjacent the inner end of said rod to be observed through said filling opening, and the upper surface of said sighting element having a light reflecting portion.

6. A liquid level tank marker comprising in combination with a liquid transport tank having a dome opening in its top wall, a marker rod consisting of a hard metal core and a relatively soft metal coatingthereon, the tank wall having a rod receiving guide opening adjacent the dome opening, adjustable means carried on said rod at opposite sides of said top tank wall and cooperating with the latter to maintain said rod in a predetermined adjusted position, a sighting element 6 on said rod adjacent its inner end, rod carried means for securing said sighting element to said rod, and said sighting element being adjustable about said rod as an axis and confined in a predetermined adjusted position by said last named means.

CLARENCE C. CRISS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hexter Nov. 16, 1937 Number 

